March 8, 2024 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.
A Message from Councillor King
Your Councillor in the Community
I was pleased to join Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier for an International Women's Day event earlier today, March 8, hosted by The Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre at The Rideau Community Hub.
Rideau-Rockcliffe News, Events and Engagement Opportunities
Road Closure - Mutual Street - March 11 to 20
The City has received a request for the closure of Mutual Street from Rainier Street to St. Laurent Boulevard from March 11 to 20. The closure is to facilitate site service connections. Affected residents and businesses will receive advance notification.
Free Yoga Classes in New Edinburgh - Every Sunday morning & Wednesday evening
Enjoy free yoga at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse, 203 Stanley Avenue, every Sunday, starting March 10, from 11 am to 12:30 pm. Classes are also held every Wednesday evening, starting March 13, from 7 to 8:30 pm until the end of May. Unite breath and movement through an asana practice. Join Solmaz Hicks on her yoga journey, that began during the pandemic when she discovered a profound connection between mind, body and spirit. Through her yoga practice she changed the way she deals with stress entirely. You can too! Please bring your own mat. For more information, please click here.
Free tax clinic - March 16, April 6, 13 and 27
Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier and Ottawa-Vanier MPP Lucille Collard host free tax clinics by appointment at 237 Montreal Road on March 16, April 6, April 13 and April 27. For details and to make an appointment, please call 613-744-4484.
Sugar Festival at Vanier Museopark - March 18 to 24
- Check in at 8:30 am. Race begins at 9 am.
- Tickets $20/person, $40 with meal ticket
- Visit this link to register or volunteer. Free breakfast for volunteers!
Dungeons & Dragons at the St. Laurent Complex - March 26 & May 7
Free Children’s Playgroup at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse - every Thursday until the end of May
Children from newborns to four years old and their parents or caregivers are welcome to attend a free drop-in playgroup at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse, 203 Stanley Avenue, on Thursday mornings from 9 to 11 am until the end of May. This is an informal and unstructured opportunity to socialize with other children in your community. For more information, please email [email protected].
Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre Tax Clinic - until April
The Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre's free income tax clinic will be available until April 2024. The Income Tax Clinic offers free tax preparation services to low-income members of the community with K1K, K1M and some K1G postal codes. This service helps people eliminate the costs associated with preparing their tax returns, keeps them in good standing with the CRA, and enables them to benefit from the tax credits available to them. You may book an appointment by clicking here. If you have questions, please contact [email protected] or 613-745-0073.
Sidewalk Repairs To Resume
As part of the City of Ottawa’s annual infrastructure maintenance cycle, sidewalk repairs that began in October 2023 will resume this summer. In the next few weeks, sidewalks will undergo reparations at 7-9 Rideau Gate and at 10 Sussex Drive. For more information about sidewalk repairs, please visit ottawa.ca/constructionmap. Notices to local residents will be delivered approximately one week before construction resumes. The City of Ottawa will be repairing sidewalks as preventative maintenance aimed at extending the City's sidewalk network lifecycle. Work will involve removal and replacement of concrete panels, iron adjustments. Increased noise levels to be expected in order to facilitate the work. Roads will remain open to traffic with lane closures expected. Traffic control personnel will direct traffic through the site. The sidewalks will be repaired during the day and evening and will involve minor lane interruptions. Weekend work is anticipated for all locations and traffic interruptions may also be experienced due to flagging operations. The City of Ottawa has retained the Contractor, D-Squared Construction Ltd. to complete the work.
Youth Crocheting at St. Laurent Complex - April 4 and May 2
Crocheting for youth: Learn the basics or get a refresher on how to crochet. Learn chain stitch, single crochet, double crochet, triple and make your first 'Granny Square'. No experience required. This program takes place Thursdays from 6 to 7 pm at the St. Laurent Complex, 525 Coté Street. Program dates are April 4 to 25 and May 2 to 30. Click here for registration and more details.
Monday, March 18 – RiverRock Inn, Rockland (bilingual) Tuesday, March 19 – Ray Friel Recreation Complex, Orleans (bilingual) Tuesday, April 23 – Hôpital Montfort (bilingual) Tuesday, April 9 – Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health Wednesday, April 10 – Matt Anderson, CEO, Ontario Health
The proposed work includes:
- replacement of 22 poles along the right-of-way
- replacement of the remaining 34 poles along the existing Hydro Ottawa rear-lot easements
- replacement/installation of 11 new anchors for pole line support
Confirmation of the work schedule and additional details about this project will be communicated as they become available.
Rockcliffe Park Speaker Series - March 27
On March 27 at 8 pm, Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital will give an overview of the exciting plans to develop a new world class hospital and rebuild the future of healthcare for the Ottawa community. The event takes place at the Rockcliffe Park Community Hall, 380 Springfield Road. For details, please click here.
Women Action Forum - CAWI Caring Cities Initiative - March 27
Concerts in New Edinburgh - April 5 and 6
The Crichton Community Council (CCC) proudly presents two Jim Bryson concerts at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse, 203 Stanley Avenue, one on the evening of Friday, April 5 and a second on Saturday, April 6. Doors open at 7 pm. Music at 8 pm. Tickets are available for $30 from: April 5 Eventbrite or April 6 Eventbrite. Come early to claim a seat, then wet your whistle before the show. Standing room is available at the back of the room, near the bar. Licensed drinks and snacks will be available. Jim Bryson is a National Folk Award nominated Canadian Singer-Songwriter and Record Maker. For more information, please click here.
Sladen Avenue and Noranda Avenue - Watermain Replacement - Spring 2024
A development-driven Watermain Upgrade Project is anticipated to start in Spring 2024 on Sladen Avenue and Noranda Avenue.
What - The work consists of the replacement and upsizing of the watermains on Sladen Avenue and Noranda Avenue for a total length of 255m. All private services will be replaced to the property line along with reinstatement of disturbed areas. The watermain replacement is driven by the planned development at 641 Sladen Avenue.
Why - The owner of 641 Sladen Avenue (St-Laurent Academy - Ottawa Private School) will undertake this watermain upgrade work to meet the fire flow demands for a proposed development on the subject property. This upgrade of the existing watermain from 152mm to 200mm with a new fire hydrant will also improve the existing fire flow demands of the school, St-Laurent Academy.
Where - The project limits on Sladen Avenue are from Noranda Avenue to Malartic Avenue, while the project limits on Noranda Avenue are from St. Laurent Boulevard to Sladen Avenue.
More details on construction timelines, traffic management and parking restrictions will be provided in advance of the project.
City of Ottawa News, Events, Meetings and Engagement Opportunities
Black Mental Health Week - until March 9
Don't miss the opportunity to attend Black Mental Health Week events running from (March 4th - 9th) which comes with a variety of vibrant and informative events, both in person and virtual. For details, please visit the Ottawa Black Mental Health Coalition on Facebook or at obmhc.ca.
Connecting with people you trust can help you get through difficult times. During Black Mental Health Week, #haveThatTalk about Mental Health. Get quick access to phone and video counselling from diverse staff in English, French and Arabic at no cost: https://counsellingconnect.org
Responding to Stressful Events
A message from Ottawa Public Health: Many of you have likely seen or heard reports of the awful events that happened in Barrhaven the evening of March 6. This news is hard to see and you'll likely be affected by this, perhaps even more than you’d expect. Take the time to process. Be honest about how you're feeling. Remember: it's completely normal to be affected by events like this. It's not "just you," we're all feeling it. Be sure to check in on each other. Ask someone how they're doing. It will matter. If you or anyone out there needs support, there are resources in the community that can help: http://OttawaPublicHealth.ca/StressfulEvents
March Break at the Ottawa Public Library - March 11 to 16
Ottawa Public Library (OPL) is thrilled to announce an exciting lineup of activities and programs for children and teens during this year's March Break, running from March 11 to 16. With a week packed full of daily online programs and special events at various branches, there’s something for everyone! Registration is now open. For more information and to register, visit Ottawa Public Library's Programs and Events page. Click here for March Break programs for teens. Click here for March Break programs for kids.
Tapestry presents: Stories from Ottawa’s Chinese-Canadian Community - Until March 16
Stories from Ottawa's Chinese-Canadian Community are on display at the City of Ottawa's central Archives - James K. Bartleman Centre, 100 Tallwood Drive, featuring newly acquired material. These materials highlight community advocacy and promote cross-cultural understanding on Chinese-Canadian media issues, community-police relations, and over 100 years of community history from early immigration to modern-day Chinatown. Drop by the Central Archives Tuesday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. The display will be available for viewing until March 16. For details, please click here. Learn more about the Tapestry initiative by clicking here.
Spring Preparedness Operations Update
Since January, pothole crews have been working on temporary repairs, over 500 crews have been assigned and filled over 28,500 potholes! This is an increase of 38 per cent compared to last year where the number of potholes filled between January 1 and February 28, 2023, was 17,503. In winter, conditions are not ideal for pothole repairs. The unstable conditions, including ice and water in the holes, as well as the cold temperatures and frequent freeze / thaw cycles, prevents the patch from adhering as well to the roadway making the repair temporary. Products that staff use to repair potholes during the winter months are Cold Patch and Warm Mix asphalt. For residents wishing to report a pothole, a service request can be created online.
To view the above images in a larger format and for the full Spring Preparedness Operations Update, please click here.
Test your recycling knowledge for a chance to win a full festival Bluesfest pass
Who knew sorting waste could be such a party! Join the Sort and Score virtual waste sorting challenge and you can enter for a chance to win the ultimate summer prize – a full festival pass to Bluesfest! Contest details are available at this link.
March 15: Registration opens
April 15 to May 31: Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign
April 22: Earth Day 2024
May 3: Registration closes
June 15: Deadline to submit online cleanup reports
Kichi Zībī Mīkan Parkway virtual community discussion - March 18
& an Urban Community Walk - March 17
Parkways For People, a local active transportation advocacy group, will be hosting an online community discussion on the future of the Kichi Zībī Mīkan Parkway on Zoom Monday, March 18 at 7:30 pm. A stimulating discussion is sure to follow short presentations by: Dr. Robert Zarr (connecting outdoor activity and our well-being); Dave Adams (speaking on the birth of urban trails and their stewardship); Sherry Wu (Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library); and the NCC (Parkways custodian). Register on Zoom: KZMtalk.eventbrite.ca
On Sunday, March 17, there will be an urban walk led by community member Siobhan Kirkland. Meet at Remic Rapids at 2 pm for a two-hour walk along the river path. No registration required.
Ottawa Film Office survey - open until March 19
The Ottawa Film Office is thrilled to invite you to participate in a series of consultations that will play a pivotal role in shaping our strategic direction for the next three years. Your insights are invaluable, and we encourage your active engagement in this exciting process. You can take part in a survey in English or French until March 19.
17 annual Francophone RendezVous with Mayor Sutcliffe - March 21
Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 7:30 – 9 am at Jean Pigott Place, Ottawa City Hall
The City of Ottawa invites you to the 17th annual Francophone RendezVous with the Mayor on Thursday, March 21, 2024. On this day, Mayor Sutcliffe will welcome members of the Francophone community for a breakfast reception and networking event at Ottawa City Hall. This year’s event will focus on Ottawa’s francophone and bilingual post-secondary education institutions and their significant economic and cultural contributions to the community. If you would like to attend the event, please complete the registration form.
Interim property tax bills due March 21
- Financial institutions – including online or telephone banking
- City of Ottawa Client Service Centres
- Online by payment card: ottawa.ca/paytax
- By sending a cheque to the City of Ottawa
- Pre-authorized debit plan (future billings)
- Check the property tax brochure included with your bill
- Call Revenue Services at 613-580-2444 (TTY: 613-580-2401). Transactions will be recorded.
- Email [email protected]
- Visit the City’s website at ottawa.ca/taxes
Vacant Unit Tax declarations due by March 21
- Call 613-580-2444 and select option 3 where an agent will help complete your declaration over the phone
- Call 613-580-2401 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service
- Visit your nearest City Client Service Centre. Priority will be given to scheduled appointments. Visit ottawa.ca/csc for locations, hours and to make an appointment.
- Promote neighbours meeting neighbours in their local, geographic community;
- Include multiple activities and attractions designed to appeal to residents of a specific priority neighbourhood or population;
- Promote community well-being by welcoming all community members or priority groups; and
- Promote equity and inclusion.
Priority populations are those specified in the Community Funding Framework Policy Statement, including Francophones, immigrants, Indigenous people, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, older adults, people living in poverty, people with disabilities, racialized people, rural residents, women and youth. Priority neighbourhoods, are those defined by the Neighbourhood Equity Index. For more information and to apply, please visit Ottawa.ca.
- Deadline for application: Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 5:00pm.
- Total funding envelope: $50,000
- Maximum funding per agency: $3,000
- Applicants are advised of the results on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
Snow Plow Contractor Licensing Review - Survey open until March 31
The City of Ottawa periodically reviews by-laws to address emerging issues and ensure each by-law continues to meet the needs of the community. Council has directed City staff to review regulations related to snow plow contractors, including the following issues:
- Noise and nuisance;
- Illegal snow dumping on private and public property; and,
- Follow up on permanently allowing metal driveway markers.
For more information on the By-law Review Framework and the current by-laws under review, visit the City’s By-law Review webpage. If you are a member of the public, you can complete the online survey and subscribe to Engage Ottawa for future updates. If you are a snow plow contractor, email [email protected] to receive additional information on industry-specific engagement opportunities and future updates. The survey will be available until March 31 to provide your feedback on regulations for snow plow contractors working on private property. If you are an industry member, the City will be consulting with you in April 2024. For details, please visit Engage Ottawa.
Review of special event by-laws - Survey open until March 31
Ottawa is a dynamic capital, with City services supporting over 500 festivals and special events year-round. We are currently reviewing and seeking your feedback on the by-laws regulating special events on City streets and private and public property. We’re also looking for opportunities to support parades, festivals and community celebrations. Participate in the online survey to have your say on special event regulations by Sunday, March 31. With your input, together we can improve special event services and key regulations that will help grow our economy, enrich our culture, and protect our community and environment. Keep an eye on Engage Ottawa this spring for more engagement opportunities focusing on the City’s special event regulations and processes.
City grants available to non-profit groups for environmental projects - Deadline is April 5
The City of Ottawa is now accepting applications for the 2024 Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP). CEPGP provides funding to non-profit organizations interested in undertaking small-scale, community-based initiatives that support an environmentally sustainable Ottawa. The application deadline is Friday, April 5 at 4 pm. Successful CEPGP grant recipients must complete their projects by June 30, 2025. For details on eligibility criteria, the application process, profiles of past projects, and to complete an application form, please visit ottawa.ca/cepgp. For more information on CEPGP, please contact Tara Redpath, CEPGP Coordinator, at 613-580-2424 ext. 16822 or at [email protected].
#ottmusic helps local musicians share their sound - Applications due by April 5
Recreation and Parks Funding: Community Partnership Minor/Major Capital Programs - Deadline is May 1
The Community Partnership Minor Capital Program is designed to implement capital improvements to parks and recreation facilities by partnering with community groups and sharing costs. The deadline to apply for the Community Partnership Minor Capital Program is May 1, 2024.
The City is reviewing how we recover costs to deliver water services that you rely on every day, and we want to hear from you. To ensure fairness and balance costs for water usage with the actual costs needed to maintain our water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, we need to periodically look at how rates are being charged. The rate structure will apply six guiding principles to identify opportunities for improvement:
- Fairness and equity
- Affordability
- Transparency
- Financial sustainability
- Supports economic development
- Promote conservation
How to participate: Visit engage.ottawa.ca/rates for more information and to complete the Water Rate Review survey before the end of July 2024. Public consultations will take place until fall 2024. More information on these consultations will be shared in advance and listed on Engage Ottawa. Feedback received will be reviewed and consolidated to inform the review. Final recommendations will be presented to the Environment and Climate Change Committee and then Council for their consideration in 2025.
Emergency Services News
Mr. David Donaldson appointed to the Ottawa Police Services Board
The Ottawa Police Services Board welcomes the Ottawa City Council appointment of Mr. David (Dave) Donaldson as the Public Member to the Board for the remainder of the 2022-2026 Term of Council. The appointment took place at the Council meeting of March 6, 2024, and Mr. Donaldson was sworn in on March 7, 2024, by the Board Solicitor. Click here for more information.
Ottawa Police launches the District Special Constable Pilot Project
The Ottawa Police Service District Special Constable (DSC) is pleased to announce the District Special Constable Pilot Project. The Pilot Project deploys Special Constables to assist Frontline patrol operations. The pilot program is intended to support and supplement frontline police officers by sending Special Constables to various non-emergency call types. Under the Pilot Project, the DSCs will have two new roles:
- The first role is to assist with custody of persons apprehended under the Mental Health Act. This area drains frontline resources while police officers maintain custody of detainees at hospitals. Currently, two police officers are required to maintain custody of a detainee at hospital. A Special Constable will relieve the secondary police officer so they can return to patrol duties and respond to other emergencies.
- The second role for DSCs is traffic control duties. They will assist police officers with traffic direction and road closures to alleviate frontline resources. This includes road closures at collision scenes, crime scenes, events, demonstrations, and any other incident that may require traffic control. DSCs will also support frontline officers with towing or removing vehicles from roadways.
The use of Special Constables for these duties frees up police officers to respond to emergency calls. Visit ottawapolice.ca for details.
Spring is coming; the ice is not safe
Fraud Prevention Month – Protect yourself from scams
Calling all local charities: Apply to be the beneficiary of the 13th annual OPS Gala
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its 13th annual Gala to be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at the Shaw Centre. To qualify, your organization must be:
- A registered charity; and
- Provide services to Ottawa residents.
We invite those who qualify to fill out the application form at ottawapolice.ca/Gala before 4 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2024, and let us know about the important work you are doing in the community.